Circling the wagons; Smith, Lucas brawl, with updates

Predictably, John Fox had little to say about Friday morning's sideline brawl between WR Steve Smith and CB Ken Lucas.

Two of the team's highest-paid stars were engaged in a nasty fight, with Smith clocking Lucas in the face. The corner was on one knee when Smith punched him from above.

Lucas was hauled off the field with an obvious facial injury, while Smith was shepherded around by WR Muhsin Muhammad, K John Kasay and chaplian Mike Bunkley before GM Marty Hurney escorted him off the field.

"There was an altercation, and it will be dealt with internally," said Fox, who was standing a few feet away from the incident. "Any time something happens, it's disappointing, but it's part of football, and we'll deal with it."

No word yet on Lucas' condition, or Smith's punishment.

But if Jeremy Bridges got two games for waving a gun at a stripper last year, it's hard to imagine Smith suiting up when the Panthers open the regular season in San Diego.

(Update 11:30 a.m.) QB Jake Delhomme just spoke, said he was disappointed in Smith, but it was what Fox told the team that was interesting.

"He talked to us. Things were squashed. There will be no retaliation," Delhomme said.

That Fox had to say it should tell you something about this one. Defensive players on the sideline were furious with Smith.

In the moments after the fight, Smith went under the tent where trainers were working on Lucas, apparently to apologize. But it's hard to imagine this one going away that quickly.

(Update 11:52 a.m.) WR Ryne Robinson just said he was "optimistic" about his condition, but that it was "absolutely" not season-ending. He went down Thursday afternoon with a left knee injury.

He'll have an MRI tomorrow back in Charlotte.

(Update 12:40 p.m.) When WR Muhsin Muhammad was discussing the possibility of Smith missing time becuase of a suspension, he included: "And Ken too."

There's no word on his condition yet, but the possibility of this costing Lucas time is real.

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